tough moose meat

[Rufous]

I get really depressed when I try to eat the meat from an animal that I killed and it is so tough that it is hardly edible. My wife cooked up some of the round steaks from the moose I killed in early October on two occasions and both times they were disappointingly tough. The first time she just fried them in a skillet. The second time she pounded them first and then breaded them and started them on the stove top in a skillet before finishing them in the oven. Again, both times they were really tough. Then I decided to try cooking some of the round steak in a crock pot with onion soup mix and some red wine (afterall I am a winemaker) and taters, parsnips, rosemary, thyme, garlic and water. This turned out very tender and tasty. I was overjoyed. Then my wife did a crockpot with some round steak but she used some bacon too. After cooking she shredded the meat and we added bbq sauce and are eating it on burger buns. It really kicks booty. Tremendously tasty and tender. I encourage you big game hunters to experiment some with cooking the tougher cuts. So far I am finding that the crock pot can do wonders, turning otherwise nearly inedible meat into delectable dishes. Brian.

[robodad]

Yeah, I have had steaks from 3 moose (2 bulls and 1 cow) in various cuts and it is pretty tough stuff, I try to roast every piece of moose in a crock pot or similar and cut it with the grain, then eat the strands as you shread them off the roast, it is the best way to eat it I think, the steaks just seem to be tough for whatever reason !!! 

[Skyvalhunter]

Sounds like you will be eating alot of moose from a crockpot!! That and lots of hamburger

[rasbo]

Yeah, I have had steaks from 3 moose (2 bulls and 1 cow) in various cuts and it is pretty tough stuff, I try to roast every piece of moose in a crock pot or similar and cut it with the grain, then eat the strands as you shread them off the roast, it is the best way to eat it I think, the steaks just seem to be tough for whatever reason !!! 

how long are ya hanging it

[robodad]

Yeah, I have had steaks from 3 moose (2 bulls and 1 cow) in various cuts and it is pretty tough stuff, I try to roast every piece of moose in a crock pot or similar and cut it with the grain, then eat the strands as you shread them off the roast, it is the best way to eat it I think, the steaks just seem to be tough for whatever reason !!! 

how long are ya hanging it

Well that depends on which one, 4 days on the cow and I had to trim off the mold from the bulls, the bulls were from SW Alaska in the tundra and that is how the natives did it while I was there, the cow was from Washington so I don't know !!  all of them died very quickly and had no long chases or anything, just the nature of them I guess !!

[phishisgroovin]

Baking, bbq'ing or whatever cooking preference you like.
Cook meat open on real low heat (220f) for 3 hours, then wrapped in foil for 2 hours then open again for 1 hour at 300+.
this is my key to (pull the rib bones out of porkribs) smoked ribs.

usually at 220 in a smoke pit/BBQ

[rasbo]

I do my bear that way love it,never had moose im suprised the steaks are that tuff.I eat my steaks med rare,sometimes over cooking will really toughen them up.O well you got moose thats awesome

[high country]

did your steaks get cut a bit thin? I try to keep my cuts thick. I will soak the meat in milk, montreal steak seasoning...salt and pepper. they all seem to help. it seems that they really loosen up after 2-3 days in the fridge in the steak seasoning. I do only cook my meat to the point where a good vet might still be able to bring it back.......cooking a steak beyond capacity is a recipie for toughness.

[billythekidrock]

Thaw out those steaks, cut them into 1 inch chunks and pressure can them.

[finnman]

I hear ya Brian! The bull my wife shot is a bit tough as well. The round and sirloin steaks I have cooked and given out have all been tough!!!!! Tasty but the trouble of trying to chew and swallow it takes some joy out of it. Even a pack of Backstraps I cooked up were not real tender. The tenderloins were REAL tender. I hung the bull for 4 days prior to cutting, maybe it is the age of the bull! The 6 pt. bull I shot is real good! Nice and tender, real mild, I think its better than the moose! When hunting elk we fried up a pan of moose tenderloins and a pan of whitetail backstraps and you could not tell the difference!!! Some of the best deer I have ever eaten!!!!

[WAPITIHUNTER]

The key here is to blend your meat with a nice helping of Haggis. Boy after you get a good mouthfull of the Haggis no matter how tough the meat is you will appreciate it. ..................................................................................................i know i am a 

[robb92]

Haggis is good, almost like black pudding or blood sausage. Have you tried soaking yur steaks in a beer or bourbon based marinade for a day or so, I've had red stag steaks that came from an old bull that were soaked in a mixture like that and they were so tender, not over done.

[stumprat]

Thaw out those steaks, cut them into 1 inch chunks and pressure can them.
[/quote

 :drool:mmmmmmmmm.....................canned moose meat.

[Ridgeratt]

After also harvesting my Moose I have learned a intresting fact about Moose. They are tuff!!!
I'm fortunate to have a walk-in cooler and a few commercial pieces (saw's,Grinder's,and hamburger packing)of meat equipment. I hung the Moose for 2 weeks in a controlled environment and when I cut it up I was amazed. When I ground the burger the shank's have a tremendous amount of tendons and sinew in them I had to stop and clean off the 3/8's grind plate after about every 3 pounds because it was clogged up. Took over 5 hours to make the first grind. I was thinking this is really a once in a lifetime deal! LOL the second grind only took about 1 1/2 and then to bag it took even less.The steaks are cut to a 5/8 thickness and the sirloins had what I would call a slight resiliency. The overall flavor is mild with not a wild taste.
To those of you who are still in a quest for the tag after you are successful you need to go spend some time with your butcher. Find out if he likes good Bourbon and perhaps 'gift' him a bottle for the experience!

[skinzner]

This is what i do with tough steak

take the steaks and put them into an eggwash then put in a johnnys seasoning salt and flour mixture then  pan fry in butter until they are browned on each side. Next take them out and put them in a casserole dish and pour your remaining butter from frying pan over the top( not a lot) cover the dish and bake for an hour at 350. This is quite tasty